Strand-working mechanism



.Fuiy 16, 1929. w. F. HOSFORD ET AL STRAND WORKING MECHANISM Filed Dec.17. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet v? S w CE y 15, 1929- w. F. HOSFORD ET AL1.720.676

STRAND WORKING MECHANISM Filed Dec. 17, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 PatentedJuly 16, 1929.

UNITED STATES 1,720,676 PATENT OFFICE.

wnmmn FULLER nosronn, or OAK PARK, AND DAVID LEVINGER, or CHICAGO,rumors, assmnons T WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, mconroaum), or new YORK,11., Y., A CORPORATION on NEW YORK.

STRAND-WORKING, MECHANISM.

Application filed December 17, 1924. Serial No. 756,405.

This invention relates to improvements in strand working mechanisms, andmore particularly to wire drawing apparatus.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved wire drawingapparatus wherein different types of wire storage mechanisms may beinterchangeably mounted upon a common supporting portion thereof andoperatively connected to a common driving means embodied in theapparatus.

In accordance with the general features of the invention a, wire drawingmechanism is provided withdi common supporting surface and a singleoperative connection for associating interchangeably in supporting anddriving relationship therewith, either a wire coil take-up mechanismformed as a unit, attachable to the wire drawing mechanism anddetachableitherefrom, or a spool takeup mechanism 'also formed as aunit, attachable to the wire drawing mechanism and detachable therefrom.

One of the advantages of this construction is that a wire drawingmechanism embodying the invention will be more compact and occupy lessfloor space than a machine provided with both spool and coil take-upmechanisms permanently attached thereto. There is a furtheradvantagethat where a battery of wire drawing mechanisms of this type is employedit is not necessary to have both a spool and coil take-up for eachmachine, but a spool take-up may be provided for each of the machinesand a lesser number of coil take-up mechanisms provided where themachines-are used primarily for storing wire on spools; and on the otherhand a coil take-up mechanism may be provided for each wiredrawing-apparatus and a lesser number of spool take-ups provided wherethe machines are used primarily for storing the drawn wire in the formof coils. A further advantage of the present invention resides in thefact that the driving mechanism for the wire drawing apparatus isprovided with a single operative connection which may serve for eitherthe spool or the coil take-up mechanism, rather than to provide thedriving mechanismLWit-h two operative connections, as is the practice insome instances when the machine is equipped permanently with both spooland coil take-up mechanisms.

It is believed that'the invention will be clearly understood from thefollowing description taken in connection with the accompanymg drawingsillustrating one embodiment of the invention, in which,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a wire drawng machine embodying thefeatures of the invention;

F g. 2 is a fragmentary plan view thereof;

Fig. 1s a front elevation of a wire coiling mechanism adapted to beinterchangeably mounted upon the machine with the spool take-upmechanism illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a schematic plan view of the driving mechanism for the drawingele ments and the interchangeable wire storage mechanisms, and F g. 5 isa schematic plan view of the drivmg mechanism for the Wire coilingmechanism illustrated in Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, is a bed or base plate upon which is mounteda housing 11 provided with an upper suitably hinged section or cover 12which is adapted to be swung open by pulling upwardly handles 13 formedin the front face thereof. Mounted upon the base plate 10 to the rear ofthe housing 11 is a second housing 15 for the driving mechanism to bedescribed in greater detail hereinafter. The base plate 10 is providedupon its upper surface at the right hand side thereof with aportion 16adapted to have mounted thereon interchangeably either a spool take-upmechanism indicated at 17 in Figs. 1, 2 and 4 or a coil take-upmechanism indicated at 18 in Figs. 3 and 5.

Either of the mechanisms 17 and 18 may be secured to the portion 16 by aplurality of screws indicated at 19-19 which may be passed througheither of the base plates 22 and 23 of the mechanisms 17 and 18,respectively, and threaded into openings provided in the portion 16.Suitably journaled within the housing 15 is a pair of horizontallydisposed driving shafts 24 and 25 (Figs. 1, 2 and 4), the shaft 24 beingrotated from a motor (not shown) positioned in a basement or pit belowthe machine. The motor is operatively connected to the shaft 24 by asprocket chain drive indicated at 26 and the s aft 25 is driven at asuitable speed from the shaft 24 also by a similar drive indicated at28. The shaft 24 extends through the rear wall of the housing 11 and hassecured at its forward end by a key 29, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, aconical or stepped drawing drum or capstan 3Q provided with eight stepsand the shaft 25 also extends into the housing 11 and carries aplurality of sheaves 31- 31, seven of which are stepped in graduallydecreasing diameters beginning at the forward end of the shaft and aremounted loosely thereon. Fixed to the shaft 25 by a key 32 at the rearof the seventh sheave 31 is a drawing drum or capstan 33.

Secured to the inside of the rear wall of the housing 11 intermediatethe shafts 24 and 25 is a die box or support '34 adapted to hold eightwire drawing dies 37-87, the dies being positioned and retained thereinwith their axes suitably disposed with respect to the periphery of thestepped capstan 30 and the sheaves 31-31 and capstan 33. Carried outsideupon the left hand vertical end wall of the housing 15 is a trough likemember 38 carrying tallow or other suitable lubricating material withinwhich ,is mounted a die 39 through which the wire is first drawn. Aguiding sheave 40 is rotatably mounted between a pair of cars 41 formedintegrally upon the left hand end of the member 38 and over which therod or wire 42 to be drawn down to a smaller size is led from the supplysource (not shown).

Suitable means (not shown) is provided for lubricating the dies 37-37mounted in the die box 34 and at the right hand side of the capstan 30is a lubricator header 45 provided with a plurality of nozzles 4646which direct the lubricant onto the periphery of the different steps ofthe capstan30. Upon the outside of the right hand vertical end wall ofthe housing 15 is mounted a support or housing 47 adapted to suitablyposition another wire drawing die 48 which is the final or finishingdie.

The dies 37, 38, and 48 are first accurately strung upon the wire or rod42 so that upon stringing the wire drawing machine, each die will dropinto its allotted position in the die holders. A mechanism adapted tostring the dies upon the wire in this manner is fully disclosed in thecopending application of F. Murphy, Serial No. 681,922, filed December21, 1923.

In stringing the wire drawing machine the end of the wire to be drawn,with the dies properly strung thereon, is passed over the guide sheave40, the die 39 is positioned in the member 38, the wire is then passedover the top of and Wrapped one or more turns around the capstan 33, thefirst of the series of dies 47 is then properly positioned in the diebox 34, the wire is then passed one or more turns around the smallestdiameter capstan 30, then underneath and over the top of the smallestdiameter sheave 31, then the second of the series of dies 37 is properlypositioned in the die box 34 and the wire is then passed over and portedin a journal indicated at 52. The

shaft 51 is driven from the shaft 24 by a sprocket chain drive 53 and isoperatively connected to a suitably journaled vertically disposed shaftindicated at 54 in Figs. 1, 3 and 4 through bevel gears 55 and 56, thelower end of the shaft 54 having fixed thereto a bevel gear 59.

Detachably mounted upon the extreme forward end of the shaft 51 by a setscrew 66 and a key 61 is an auxiliary drawing element or capstan 62which draws the wire through the final reducing die 48 and thereafter itis taken up by the spool take-up mechanism 17 shown in the drawingsmounted upon the portion 16 of the base 10. lVhen the coil take-upmechanism (Figs. 3 and 5) is'being used the auxiliary capstan 62 is notnecessary and may be easily removed from the shaft 51 and a suitableguarding cap (not shown) positioned over the projecting end of the shaft51 to prevent possible injury to the operator. A guard 63, suitablysupported, is provided for the auxiliary capstan which is also removedwhen the capstan is detached from the shaft 51.

As illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 4 the spool take-up mechanism 17comprises a horizontally disposed shaft 66 suitably journaled upon thebase plate 22 and adapted at its forward end to support a removabletakeup spool 67. The shaft 66 is operatively connected to the shaft 54through a horizontally disposed shaft 68 having fixed thereon atopposite ends bevel gears 69 and 70 which respectively mesh with thebevel gear 59 carried by the shaft 54 and a bevel gear 71 secured uponthe shaft 66 (Fig. 4). The shaft 68 forms a permanent part of themechanism 17and is suitably journaled upon the base plate 22 thereof.Surrounding the shaft 68 is a housing 74 enlarged at its left hand endas indicated at 75 to surround the bevel gear 69 and provided with aflange 76 which is secured by screws 73 around an opening (not shown) inthe right hand end wall of the housing 15. When the base plate 22 isproperly secured to the portion 16 of the base plate 10, the bevel gear69 is inmesh with the bevel gear 59 and the drive to the shaft 66 isthen com- 'plete. For distributing the drawn wire in even layers backand forth across the spool 67 the following mechanism, also embodied inthe take-up mechanism 17 is provided. To the rear end of the shaft 66 issecured a pinion 7 7 which meshes with an idler gear 7 8 in turn meshingwith a gear 79 fixed to a horizontal shaft 80 ositioned above the shaft66. The pinion 77 and gears 78 and 79 have been shown in ofi'setrelation in the schematic illustration for the sake of clearness. Asshown in Fig. 1 the shaft 80 provided with right and left hand screwthreads 83 and 84, respectively, which are traversed alternately by'alug (not shown) carried by a block 85 reciprocably mounted upon a pairof rods 86. Suitably carried by the reciprocable block 85 is a pair ofdistributor fingers 87 between which the wire being fed by the capstan62 is led and as the block 85 travels backward and forward due to thethreads 83 and 84 and associated mechanism the wire is distributed inalternate directions across the spool 67 and between the flanges thereofin smooth even layers. This type of distributing mechanism is old in theart of spooling and a more detailed description thereof it is believedis not necessary.

Due to the constant speed at which the wire is received by the spool 67and the in creasing diameter of the spooled wire upon the spool it isnecessary to gradually decrease the speed of the spool to maintain auniform tension on the wire. This is accomplished in the embodimentillustrated, by splitting the shaft 66 intermediate the bevel gear 71and the forward end thereof carrying the spool 67, and mountingtherebetween a suitable slip clutch indicated at 88. The clutch 88comprises two abutting friction disks 91 and 92. one mounted upon eachsection of the shaft 66, the disk 91 being slidably mounted upon theforward section of the shaft. The friction between the disks may beregulated by turning a nut 93 screw threaded upon the forward section ofthe shaft 66 which acts upon a compression spring 94 mounted upon theshaft and between the nut 93 and disk 91 to either decrease or increasethe tractive force of the disk 92 upon the disk 91.

lVhen it is desired to take up the drawn wire in the form of coils thespool take-up mechanism 17 may be detached from the portion 16 of thebase plate 10 by simply removing the screws 19 and 73 whereupon themechanism 17 may be lifted from the portion 16 and the coil take-upmechanism 18 illustrated in Fig. 3 may be mounted in operative relationto the wire drawing machine by reinserting the screws 19 in the baseplate 23, and the screws 73 in a flange 81 formed upon a housing 82, theflange 81 being similar to the flange 76 upon the housing 74 of themechanism 17. As explained Referring to Figs. 3 and 5 which iliustratethe coil take-up mechanism 18, 95 is a rotatable block or head aroundwhich the drawn wire is adapted to be coiled. The head 95 is fixed tothe upper end of a vertically disposed shaft 96 suitably journaled in asupporting standard 97 integral with the base plate 23. Fixed tothelowerend of the shaft 96 is a gear 98 which is in mesh with a gear 99secured to the upper end of a vertically disposed shaft 100 carrying atits lower end a bevel gear 103 in turn meshing with a bevel gear 104fixed to one end of a horizontally disposed shaft 105 which correspondsto the shaft 68 of the spool take-up mechanism 17. Upon the opposite endof the shaft 105 is a bevel gear 106 which, when the mechanism 18 is inposition upon the portion 16, meshes with the bevel gear 59 fixed to theshaft 54. The shafts 100 and 105 are suitably journalcd upon thestandard 97, which also supports at its upper end a stationarycylindrical shell or guard 107 positioned around the rotatable head 95.The guard 107 is provided with a slot 108 extending in a verticaldirection from its upper edge through which the drawn wire passes as itis coiled around the head 95 during the operation of the mechanism.

Combined with the coil take-up mechanism 18 and mountable therewith as aunit upon the portion 16 is a coil stripping mechanism 111. The functionof the mechanism 111 is to relieve the attendant of the physical strainof removing the coils of wire, which are quite heavy, from the head 95.

Removably mounted within a suitable opening formed axially in the shaft96 is a rod 112 carrying at its upper end a head 113. Pivotallyconnected to the underside of the head 113 as indicated at 114 are fourlegs 115 spaced 90 apart and provided at their lower ends with feet 116.The lower ends of the legs 115 when in operative position as shown inthe drawings fit within four vertically disposed recesses 118 formed inthe peripheral face of the head 95 in such a manner that the outer facesof the legs and feet are flush with the peripheral face of the head.Reciprocably mounted upon the rod 112 is a member 119 provided with fourarms spaced 90 apart. Each leg 115 is connected with an arm of themember 119 by a link 120, the links being pivotally connected to thelegs and arms.

When a length of rod or wire 42 has been drawn and completely taken uparound the head 95 and the legs 115 of the mechanism 111, the mechanismmay be lifted from op- Ill) crative engagement with the head by latchinga hook 121 depending from the free end of an arm 122 into an eye 125fixed to the upper end of the head 113. The arm 122 is pivotally securedto a ram 126 of suitable pneumatic lifting apparatus 127 which iscontrolled by operating a valve handle 128. The apparatus 127 issupported upon a table 129 fixed to the standard 97 at the rear -thereofas viewed in Fig. 3, the table serving as a platform for depositing thecoil of wire upon its release from the mechanism 111. V

The member 119 and links 120 are so arranged that in the position shownin the drawings the legs 115 are retained in the position shown due tothe weight of the member 119 and the cooperative toggle action betweenthe member 119 and links 120, while if the member 119 is moved upwardlyupon the rod 112 the legs will turn upon their pivot points 111 in acounterclockwise direction, thereby causing the feet 116 to move towardthe axis of the rod 115. This inward movement of he feet 116 can onlytake place when the mechanism 111 is removed from operative ngagementwith the mechanism 18, which is accomplished in the following manner.The hook 121 is first attached to the eye 125, the handle 128 is thenoperated to cause the ram 126 to move upwardly, thereby carrying thecoil stripping mechanism 111 and the coil of wire with it, the rod 112sliding out of the opening in the shaft 96. The arm 122 is then swung byhand to a position over the table 129 and the member 119 is movedupwardly upon the rod 115 which will cause the feet 116 to move inwardlyas hereinbefore described whereupon the coil of wire 130 will drop ontothe table 129. Upon the operator releasing the member 119 after therelease of the coil 130 the parts will return to their normal positionas shown, due to the action of gravity.

In Fig. 4 a suitable friction clutch is indicated at 133 which isadapted to connect the sprocket chain drive 53 with the shaft '51 andconsequently adapted to control the by the movement of an operatinglever 134 (Figs. 1 and 2) mounted upon a rod 135 which is suitablyconnected to a shifting fork 136.

The wire drawing machine as hereinbefore described, provided with acommon supporting surface and a single operative connection forassociating interchangeably in supporting and driving relationshiptherewith either a coil or a spool take-up mechanism provides aneflicient arrangement for a mechanism of this type and one which conserves floor space.

What is claimed is: I

In a wire drawing apparatus, a die, a capstan for drawing wire throughthe die, a driving means for the capstan, a gear operatively associatedwith the capstan driving means, a member secured to the wire drawingapparatus, a removable wire storing mechanism, a shaft having a gear forconnecting the wire storing mechanism with the gear associated with thecapstan driving means, and a rigid member surrounding the shaft andattachable to the men'iber secured to the wire drawing apparatus topredeterminately space the wire storing mechanism with respect to thegear associated with the capstan driving mechanism to insure a propermeshing of said gear with the gear carried by the shaft.

In witness whereof, We hereunto subscribe our names this 8th day ofDecember A. D, 1924:.

WILLIAM FULLER HOSFORD. DAVID LEVINGER.

